Renault Sued over Car Called Zoe

Renault Zoe

Renault's innovative Zoe electric car needs name change, says French woman Zoe Renault.

What's in a name? Well, a lot, apparently. Just ask someone named Zoe. Renault is facing renewed pressure - and potentially a court case - to change the name of one of its upcoming models, the Zoe Z.E.

The company may be sued after an angry 23-year-old Parisian woman by the name of Zoe Renault took offence at the use of her name as a brand.

British website Autocar reports that Zoe Renault has hired a lawyer who is willing to take the case to court unless the manufacturer gives its electric car a new name.

The Renault Zoe Z.E. (zero emissions) is an electric city car that is due to be launched in 2012. Since its initial unveiling in Frankfurt in 2009, the "Zoe" nameplate - which means "life" in Greek - has stirred controversy, with many complaints lodged to the French manufacturer.

There has even been an online petition established by Frenchman Sébastien Mortreux, whose daughter's name is Zoe. The petition received more than 5000 signatures.

"Our daughters have a beautiful first name that must not be associated with a car, so let us unite to bring pressure on a multinational which is going to destroy this pretty name for our children."

UK newspaper The Guardian also got on the bandwagon, enlisting columnist Zoe Williams (for obvious reasons) to do a personalised report on the petition, and Renault's position on the name of its car.

She writes: "A Renault spokesman, Valerian David, replied to all the criticism with this: 'It is a name that evokes values of femininity, of youth, a playful spirit and vivacity.' I mean, even if that's true (I'm working tirelessly in the opposite direction), it is a signal of how shameless this manufacturer is to look its flesh-and-blood customers in the eye and say:

'All those attractive traits of yours, all the things that make you you and make you alive, those things that people will recall with a tear during your funeral oration ... we're going to attach them to this prosaic heap of metal'."

Autocar reports a Renault spokesman as saying that Zoe is not a "definitive choice".